Vice President Bawumia Cuts Sod for Concrete Road

Accra, May 26, 2018. Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has cut sod for the construction of a pilot concrete road for the 5.4 kilometre Tema Steel- Works- DVLA- TOR stretch in the Tema Industrial Area.

The road, which cost was not given, would have a 150 millimetre (mm) thick sub base and base material, ancillary’s traffic signs and signals, and reinforced concrete grade C35/20 in road slab of 280mm thick.

Vice President Bawumia said the choice of piloting the concrete roads policy on the Steel Works road was based on its functional use by heavily loaded vehicular trucks.

Vice President Bawumia added that there were heavy industries along the Tema Steel Works road, and that its current nature was very poor and a disincentive to the industries which include Reroy Cables, Sethi Brothers, TT Brothers, Ernest Chemist, Desimone, among others.

“We do believe that the road when constructed and properly maintained should last the design period of 40 years”.

He said the advantages in using concrete as pavement type for the construction of roads included its durability adding that it did not require frequent maintenance during its 40 year lifespan.

Vehicles, he noted, running over concrete roads consumed less fuel and that, “Concrete roads do not get damaged by leaking oils from vehicles or the extreme weather conditions like rain or heat.”

The Vice President added that the rigidity of concrete pavements reduced the rolling resistance of heavy vehicles which in effect reduced the carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles leading to less environmental pollution.

He urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to undertake research in the use of local materials like cement, aggregate, and sand in road construction with the aim to reduce the cost of concrete roads.

He said, to sustain the policy direction of constructing roads with concrete, there was the need to train young and upcoming engineers and contractors in the use of concrete as a pavement option was critical.

Vice President Bawumia appealed to the public to desist from activities such as over loading of vehicles, washing of vehicles on the roads, unauthorized cutting/trenching across the roads, driving on the shoulders of the road and construction of unauthorized humps, as they could reduce the lifespan of the roads.

Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, Minister for Roads and Highways, said the construction was as a result of the Vice President’s June 19, 2017 challenge to the Ministry to venture into concrete roads.

Mr Amoako-Attah stated that the pilot concrete road which was solely funded by government would be completed in 18 months.

He indicated that it had become necessary due to the lack of adequate funds to maintain the country’s roads which were designed and built as flexible pavements.

He added that even though such roads had low construction cost, their life cycle cost was high as they deteriorated with a short time high maintenance cost.

The Roads Minister announced that his outfit was embarking on the construction of other roads in the Greater Accra and Tema Metropolis.

The roads are Tema Community 11 and 12 roads, Tema Manhean roads, asphaltic overly of selected roads in Tema and Accra, construction of Pokuase Interchange, and the reconstruction of Tema Coastal Roads.

Others are construction of motorway overpass to link Spintex and East Legon, upgrading of Spintex road 1 and construction of the Teshie Link.